影响活性炭在天然水中合成有机化合物（SOCs）平衡能力的主要因素之一是背景有机物（BOM）的存在。然而，初始SOC浓度在确定碳的容量方面也起着重要作用。本研究的目的是开发一种量化不同类型水体中SOC初始浓度对其吸附等温线影响的方法。使用的方法近似于BOM与单一等效背景化合物（EBC）的复杂混合物。根据BOM对活性炭吸附SOC的竞争效应，计算了EBC的初始浓度和单溶质等温线常数。然后，EBC方法成功地用于预测在不同初始浓度下，粉末活性炭在几种天然和成品水中对2,4,6-三氯酚的平衡容量。 该项目的完整报告，标题为“控制有机化合物与粉末活性炭”（目录号90581）是由AWWA研究基金会发表的。包括19个参考文献、表格和图表。

One of the main factors affecting the equilibrium capacity of activated carbon for synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs) in natural water is the presence of background organic matter (BOM). However, the initial SOC concentration also plays an important role in determining the capacity of the carbon. The objective of this study was to develop a means of quantifying the effect of initial SOC concentration in different types of waters on its adsorption isotherm. The method used approximates the complex mixture of BOM with a single equivalent background compound (EBC). The initial concentration and single-solute isotherm constants of the EBC were calculated based on the BOM's competitive effect on the adsorption of the SOC on activated carbon. The EBC method was then successfully used to predict the equilibrium capacity of powdered activated carbon for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in several natural and finished waters when present at different initial concentrations. A full report of this project, titled "Control of Organic Compounds with Powdered Activated Carbon" (catalog number 90581) was published by the AWWA Research Foundation. Includes 19 references, tables, figures.